Gamerz- A New Type of Arcade

Nathan’s takeGamerz is technically not an arcade. Essentially patrons register with the store and are IDed using a photograph stored in the store's data base, contact information, or the high tech method of scanning the customers’ fingerprint. Patrons rent time on one of dozens of High Definition LCD TVs, projection screen TVs, or an actual 100” projector located in the stores party room. Of course getting time on a TV is great but what will you do with it? Play games of course. Gamerz offers the use of the Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, Atari Flashback (a plug and play Atari), or the now classic Nintendo 64. Titles available include games for the Xbox, the Xbox 360, Wii, Gamecube, and N64. The Atari flashback has a decent collection of games built into the system. Peripherals for each system are made available including game specific controllers such as the Rock Band guitar controller and drum peripheral.

The atmosphere of Gamerz is casual, fun, and relaxed. Clients from all ages are constantly moving in and out, exchanging games for different ones, or settling up their account before leaving. Needless to say the staff tend to be very busy setting up systems, running the cash register, helping with technical problems (I.E. dead batteries), and running the modest snack bar located at the front. However when the store isn’t busy the staff is friendly and approachable and will talk with the customers (not while they are playing of course) and will occasionally partake in a little video game action themselves.
So how to sum up the Gamerz experience? You walk in, pick a game from the library listed at the front desk, pick a TV, plop down on the couch while someone else sets up your game for you, then grab the controller and play. If you get hungry you get a snack, if you get bored grab a new game, if you need to use the bathroom well they won’t help you with that one but there are facilities on site.
Remember all the times you purchased a game for the full price only to find out it was a hyped up piece of poo? Well it’s for that very reason I like Gamerz. I still haven’t gotten over paying $60 for Superman 64 when it was released. Sure renting from a video store is an option but most won’t let you take it back and exchange it after the first fifteen minutes of playing it. Gamerz is not only a great place to hang out and play some games but to test out what games you would really want to play at home.

The biggest reason to go to Gamerz and the inspiration (more on that later) for the store is competitive tournaments. Because the televisions are hooked up locally there is zero lagging during COD4 tournaments or other graphic intensive games and thus a better competitive atmosphere to game in. Good sportsmanship is not just a suggestion, it is a rule. This makes cheating and false accusation of cheating less likely. The coolest part of all though is cash prizes. Who doesn’t want to get played for playing games? However not all prizes are equal so make sure you check all the details before signing up with dollar signs in your eyes.Sean’s Take

A few weeks ago Nathan Murray and I headed over to Gamerz, an entertainment venue in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. I’d try to sum up what Gamerz is in one sentence, but it’s a little hard to do, because Gamerz is different than most traditional gaming establishments. It’s not an arcade like Gameworks, and it’s not a sensory-overload party center like Chuck-E.-Cheeze. Gamerz is a cool, relaxed environment where you can play regular console games, running on popular systems and displayed on crisp, beautiful plasma TVs.

To put it simply, Gamerz rents time on systems and TVs, and the rate depends on the size of TV. Their building has a casual feeling to it, almost like an internet café, with clean color aesthetics and several comfortable couches and chairs to game in. At the same time, the space feels geared to hardcore gaming; posters of games like Halo 3, Gears of War and Assassin’s Creed adorn the walls, and a number of cardboard standee displays are set at the entrance. Gamerz strikes a perfect balance between a non-threatening casual environment and a tech-equipped gaming center that a hardcore gamer would feel at home in.

Some might argue that the purpose for Gamerz, renting time on systems, is redundant. After all, places like Blockbuster already let you do that, and why not just play in your own home? I had these questions going in, but again Gamerz’ uniqueness and purpose surprised me. The main goal of Gamerz was to provide an affordable solution for console LAN parties and tournaments. Hosting these things at home is troublesome—you have to set up a number of TVs and go through the annoying process of linking all the consoles together. It’s much more of a hassle than a wireless LAN party with PCs, and Gamerz offers an easy alternative.

They have 31 Xbox 360s networked, perfect for large scale Halo or Call of Duty 4 matches. Gamerz has also managed to acquire 7 Wii consoles, and while the Wii is less suited to LANs it still helps the family oriented nature of the business. The Wii is getting more popular with crowd pleasers like Wii Fit, and Gamerz is a good place to go try these elusive titles. For the old school crowd, Gamerz also has an Atari Flashback and a Nintendo 64. Gamerz has a pretty impressive library of games for its consoles, including original Xbox and GameCube titles. You can switch games as often as you like, because the time is rented on the TVs, not on a game per game basis like a typical video rental store. This keeps the price reasonable, and Nathan and I both found the rates to be fair.

We tested out a number of games for each console, and even on their smallest screen size (42 inch) the games looked great. The Atari and N64 games were a bit blurry, but this can be attributed to the limitations of the consoles—those systems were built when SD TVs were the only option, so they weren’t designed to display on large, high resolution plasma screens.

Players can take a break and buy something from Gamerz’ modest snack bar, which is stocked with sodas, Bawls energy drinks, candy and other party foods. I was pleased to learn that you can bring your own food into Gamerz—for example, if you’re having a party there you can order pizza or Chinese take out. Overall, I thought Gamerz is a great place to host a party or just relax and play some games with friends; they’re open to hosting tabletop gaming too. I just wish it was a little closer to my home in Columbus.

We had some good conversations with the management and staff, and they are all very friendly, helpful people. The owner, Ken Jones, was returning from a LAN party he hosted for the Army and he looked tired, but he still took time out of his busy schedule to talk with us. His wife Barbara was also very accommodating and helpful, and shared more particulars of their business with us. I’d talk more about the specifics of Gamerz and what they have planned, but it’s better to let the owners tell you in their own words. We’ll have the second part of our Gamerz coverage up soon, in which we interview Ken Jones, Barbara, and their head staffer Charlie. Check back for part 2, but in the meantime, check out Gamerz official website.

* The product in this article was sent to us by the developer/company.

About Author

Sean Colleli has been gaming off and on since he was about two, although there have been considerable gaps in the time since. He cut his gaming teeth on the “one stick, one button” pad of the Atari 800, taking it to the pirates in Star Raiders before space shooter games were cool. Sean’s Doom addiction came around the same time as fourth grade, but scared him too much to become a serious player until at least sixth grade. It was then that GoldenEye 007 and the N64 swept him off his feet, and he’s been hardcore ever since.

Currently Sean enjoys a good shooter, but is far more interested in solid adventure titles like The Legend of Zelda or the beautiful Prince of Persia trilogy, and he holds the Metroid series as a personal favorite. Sean prefers deep, profound characters like Deus Ex’s JC Denton, or ones that break clichés like Samus Aran, over one dimensional heroes such as the vacuous Master Chief. Sean will game on any platform but he has a fondness for Nintendo, Sega and their franchises. He has also become a portable buff in recent years. Sean’s other hobbies include classic science fiction such as Asimov and P.K. Dick, and Sean regularly writes down his own fiction and aimless ramblings. He practices Aikido and has a BA in English from the Ohio State University. He is in his mid twenties. View Profile